After a lazy summer spent out at sea, grey seals return to the coasts for pupping season and you can see them on a day out from Liverpool.
Grey seals live all around the UK coasts and pupping season varies between colonies, but September and October are good months to keep an eye out. In the summer months there’s a good chance of spotting grey seals swimming near the shore of Hilbre Island, by West Kirby, in Wirral.
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You will often see their heads bobbing up out of the water, as they keep watch to see when the island is clear so they can come ashore. But if you want to see seal pups you will need to travel a little further afield. Below you can find details of two coastal locations where you’ve got a good chance of seeing seals and their pups, and both can be reached on a day out from Liverpool.
Angel Bay, north Wales
This pretty bay is located on the end of Little Orme, just along the coast from Llandudno, making it around an hour’s drive from Liverpool. In September you may be lucky enough to spot seals from the grassy cliffs above. The pupping season can begin around September or October in this area and the main time to spot the seal pups is late October to early November.
If you’re planning to visit, take some binoculars as the pups can be camouflaged by the large stones. People are urged by the RSPB to keep their distance from seals and their pups. To reach Angel Bay use the postcode LL30 3RW.
South Walney Nature Reserve, Cumbria
This shingle island reserve is home to the only grey seal colony in Cumbria and has beautiful views across Morecambe Bay. The reserve is on Walney Island near Barrow, around a 2h 50m drive from Liverpool.
Seals can be spotted in the water around the reserve, usually at high tide. Visitors will also see thousands of wintering wildfowl and wader birds.
There is no access to the beaches on the reserve side where the seals are located. The Cumbria Wildlife Trust says this is because baby seals are incredibly vulnerable to disturbance, which could cause the mother to abandon it and the pup to starve.
There is a seal and bird watching shelter next to Braithwaite Hide, along with a car park and toilet facilities. South Walney nature reserve is open from 10am to 5pm (4pm in winter), daily. The postcode to get here is LA14 3YQ and entry is free for members, £3 for non members and £1 for children.
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